Button Family in America

About Captain Matthias Matthias B Button, Jr.

BUTTON-BUTTS. From Mrs. F. E. Frisbee, 804 Sixth St., Sheldon, Iowa; Mrs. James A. Button, 715 Clifl'ord St., Flint, Michigan, and from a careful study of the Button Genealogy, we are enabled to give a corrected statement in regard to Matthias Button, father of Elizabeth, who m Daniel Button.

Matthias Button was the son of Matthias and Mary (Brown) Button, and was b Westerly, R. 1., Apr. 22, 1732; In (1) Phoebe Butts, at Canterbury, Conn., May 16, 1753; In (2) Elizabeth Butts, July 10, 1764; married twice afterwards, names of wives unknown; and m (5) the widow of Joshua Howe at Wells, Vt., after 1800, where he (1 in 1811. He had twenty ch. in all.

He was Capt. in Col. John Abbot’s reg’t of Foot of the State of Vt. from Aug. 1, 1781, to Aug. 4, 1781. (See Vt. Rev. Rolls, p 412.) Whether the service of a private in Capt. Jonathan Brewster’s Co. in 1776, in the Conn. Cont. Line, belongs to him or not I am unable to say.

At any rate he was not b in Plainfield, Conn., as stated in the D. A. It. Lineage Book.

The Matthias Butts who was b in Plainfield in 1730 In Mary Safford of Presbn, Conn., Mch. 5, 1752, and had: Wm., b Jan. 25, 1753; Deliverance, b Nov. 4, 1754; and Matthias, Jr., b Aug. 29, 1756. He then In (2) July 5, 1760, Mary Kimball, and had: Peter, b Feb. 25, 1762; Hannah, b Apr. 7. 1763; Gideon, b Apr. 23, 1765; and Molly, b Oct. 22, 1767. There is no record that this Matthias Butts ever lived out of the state of Conn. and he may have served as the private above mentioned.

Matthias Button of Westerly and Wells, Vt., had by his (1) wife, Phoebe (who according to some authorities was the sister of his second wife, and the dau. of Josiah Butts, and according to others was the wid. of Joseph Butts, whose maiden name was Brown), eight children, as follows:

John, b 1754, In (1) in 1783, Mary Rawson, by whom he had 12 ch., m (2) Mrs. Mary (Lowe) Burch, by whom he had three children; Molly, b 1755; Joseph, b 1756, m (1) Sarah Glass of Windham, Conn., In (2) Mrs. Mary Parks (or Pond) of Wells, Vt., and d in 1826; Nathan, b 1757; Benjamin, b 1758; Matthias, b 1760; Eunice, b 1761; and Charlotte, b 1762.

By ms (2) wife, Elizabeth, dau. of Josiah and Elizabeth (Williams) Butts, Matthias had seven ch. as follows:

Asa, b 1766, In first and had eight ch.,In (2) Mrs. Anna (Skiff) Buttton (wid. of his brother, Shubael); Elizabeth, b 1767, m Daniel Button and had three children; Jonas, b 1769; Shubbel (or Shubael), b 1771, m (1) Polly Tower, by whom he had eight ch., m (2) Anna Skifl‘ by whom he had 10 ch. (and then (1 in time for her to join forces with his brother Asa, and take care of their combined eighteen children); Nathan, b 1773; Joel, who m Lydia Tower and had sixteen children; and Joseph.

The names of his other five children, and whether they were by his third or fourth wife, is still a problem to be solved.

His fifth wife survived him, dying in 1813 or 14.

It is not certain that Daniel Button, who m Elizabeth Button, was her cousin. The brothers of Matthias were: Neal, John, Eliphalet, Benjamin and Peter. Daniel is said to have been the father of Ebenezer Button, and Dr. C. A. Button of Holland, N. Y., who is trying to finish the Button Genealogy, hopes to obtain the correct relationship before publishing his work. Mr. Button of Grand Rapids, who began the work, died a few years ago.

Source: Daughters of the American Revolution Magazine, Volumes 44-45, page 184 Capt. Matthias Button (Matthias Button3, Josiah Witter2, William Witter1) was born 22 APR 1732 in Westerly, Rhode Island, USA, and died 22 JUL 1811 in Wells, Rutland, Vermont, USA.

He married Phebe Brown, daughter of Benjamin Brown and Mary Shurtleff. She was born 12 JAN 1735 in Haverhill, Essex, Massachusetts, USA, and died 03 MAR 1764 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut, USA.

Child of Capt. Matthias Button and Phebe Brown is:

2 i. Joseph Button Sr was born 16 JAN 1754 in Canterbury, Windham, Connecticut, USA, and died 30 OCT 1826 in Wells, Rutland, Vermont